3 Songs From the 1970s That Were Banned by Radio Stations

The 1970s were a pivotal and peak year for several genres, including R&B, rock, and country. But these genres’ often heartfelt and intimate song lyrics were also their occasional downfall. Many 1970s songs were banned from radios due to their intense sexual content, political rebellion, or challenging social norms. Here are four songs from the 1970s that were banned by radio stations.

Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You Baby”

Released in 1975, Donna Summer’s single “Love To Love You Baby” was a disco sensation. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 a year after its release. As Summer’s first hit, this song was revolutionary, popularizing the disco genre and deeming Summer “the queen of disco.”

But for all the love the song received, it got just as much pushback. For about 23 seconds of the song, Summer sings very convincing, orgasmic-sounding vocals, featuring heavy breathing and moaning.

Because of its highly explicit sexual content, many radio stations, such as the BBC and many US radio stations, refused to play the song.

The Kinks’ “Lola”

The Kinks’ 1970 hit “Lola” featured risqué lyrics, including romantic encounters and support of a transgender person, which was progressive for the period. But none of those reasons is why the song was banned from the BBC. The ban was due to a strict policy against product placement because the lyrics mentioned the soda brand Coca-Cola. 

Lead singer Ray Davies was forced to re-record the line to say “cherry cola.” Instead of risking a prolonged airplay ban, The Band paused their US tour to change the lyric and rerecord the song.

Loretta Lynn’s “The Pill”

Country singer Loretta Lynn admitted to having over 14 songs banned from the radio, according to The Boot. But none of them were quite as controversial as her 1975 release, “The Pill”. The song served to break the stigma around women taking birth control and having autonomy over their bodies.

But the conservative country music scene didn’t appreciate Lynn normalizing the use of contraception. Many radio stations pulled it from their playlists.

“I didn’t understand that, because everybody was taking the pill,” Lynn said in an interview with Songfacts. “I didn’t have the money to take it when they put it out, but I couldn’t understand why they were raising such a fuss over taking the pill.”